Rust
by Absinthine
Summary: GaLe. Mending bodies and mending hearts? Something cliche like that.
1. Oxide

**A/N:** A story that's been floating in my head for a while. Just had to get it out.

* * *

He'd walked into the guild headed straight for the request board. The man had spared only a glance at the papers before grabbing one. His eyes briefly flickered towards Natsu; something unspoken passed between then. He turned his back and left the building with a hand thrown up in a casual farewell and a gruff "Goin' on a mission. Be back soon."

That happened a week ago. No one had heard from Gajeel since then. Which wasn't odd, considering he was on a mission. Why, then, had Lily stayed behind? When asked, the Exceed simply shook his head, and said that his partner had wanted to go solo for a change.

Levy sits at the counter, a book propped open in front of her drink. She sees the words, but doesn't read them, her mind whirling around a certain iron dragon slayer. Everything about Gajeel's absence seemed to make sense. But the mage still felt unease pooling in her gut.

The book closes with a resolute thud, and goes into the bag by her side. Levy hops off the stool, brushes off her skirt, and turns on her heel. She needs to get air, to go for a walk. Where to, she doesn't know.

Steps. One foot in front of another. Quicker, until she is running along the cobbled streets. The neat, smooth stones turn into cracked pavement, into pebbles, and finally to dirt. The world swims before her; she leans against a tree to catch her breath, shoulder scraping against rough bark, fingertips flitting along her bag to make sure nothing had fallen out.

Breaths. In out in out in, out, in, out… in… out.

Levy looks up, squinting against the sunset rays. She has arrived at Gajeel's house – well, not quite a house. It could maybe be called a cabin. One room, tiny, and rather nondescript, but made of sturdy brick. She had been here once, when Lucy had hunted Gajeel down to yell at him for something or other involving panties, Natsu, and Gray.

There are scuff marks in the ground outside the door, accented with spatters of something dark. The trail leads to the door, slightly ajar, a sliver of shadow peeking out from behind. Levy doesn't hesitate as she strides up to the wood and pushes it open.


	2. Corrosion

Gajeel coughs once and immediately regrets it. Knives slice into his insides, and he groans in pain. He is slumped against the wall, supported on his right by his bed. The little slivers of light that escaped the blinds catch the corners of the metal stashed on the side of his room and catch the dust motes in the air. The glitter swims before him, flashing in an arabesque.

_Shit_. Despite his condition, his acute hearing picks up footsteps outside his door. He tries to drag himself up, but his feeble efforts aren't nearly enough. Suddenly, the door swings open, and all Gajeel can think is _no, get away, no._

"Levy," he says, his voice broken from disuse. "Sorry." She whimpers behind the fingers that have flown to her mouth, her eyes wet and shining with shock.

The iron dragon looks awful. Black hair matted and unkempt, scarlet eyes glazed with delirium, the sheen of sweat clinging to his skin. A jagged gash across his chest, another across his stomach, elbows scraped to the bone, scratches along his forehead and cheeks. His left foot is mangled and oddly twisted, crusted with old blood. The sour smell of infection tinges the air.

Levy's lips tighten. "Wait here," she breathes, and flees out the door. "Like I can walk away..." Gajeel mumbles into the air. But of course there is no one there to offer a retort, and the darkness drinks his words.

Five minutes pass. Or was it fifty? Time is intangible to Gajeel. All he can do to hold on to consciousness is to focus on the dull throb in his leg from the wound and the sharp throb in his heart from the thought of Levy.

The door opens with a resounding slam against the wall. Levy enters, followed by a miffed Polyrusica and tentative Wendy. In three strides, the old woman is in front of Gajeel, leaning down to inspect the damage. Porlyusica rolls up the pant cloth, and begins to bathe it in some solution; Wendy's mouth opens, and the pain lessens. Gajeel sees Polyrusica's face tighten, her mouth moving in some sort of lecture. Blue haired Levy is standing behind her, concern and fear painted on her face as she converses with Wendy. He can't hear any of it, only the pounding in his head. Something is roughly shoved inside his mouth. Some fluid, bitter in taste. Polyrusica looks even angrier, and Gajeel understands that he should swallow.

The world fades to black.

Black, like his hair, his armor, his heart.

He is falling. Fragments of memories surround him. The day he woke up to find Metalicana gone. Meeting Jose. Battles he fought during his time in Phantom Lord - including those against his own nakama.

When Gajeel awakes, it is day.


End file.
